India grapples with rape and sexual violence

By Madison Park, CNN

Updated 1129 GMT (1829 HKT) August 15, 2013

Photos: Protest for 5-year-old victim14 photos

Protest for 5-year-old victim – Activists and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party protest against the rape of a 5-year-old girl in Hyderabad on Tuesday, April 23. Demonstrations have taken place across the state since a man was arrested in the rape of the girl in New Delhi. There have been high-profile assaults in India since December, when a woman was gang raped on a bus. See photos of outrage over the sexual assault in December.

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Photos: Protest for 5-year-old victim14 photos

Protest for 5-year-old victim – Indian youths stand in front of a banner with the colors of their national flag in a silent demonstration in Hyderabad on April 23.

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Photos: Protest for 5-year-old victim14 photos

Protest for 5-year-old victim – Activists burn an effigy of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during a protest in front the landmark of Red Fort in New Delhi on April 23.

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Protest for 5-year-old victim – Activists protest in New Delhi on Monday, April 22.

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Protest for 5-year-old victim – A woman covers her mouth with a black cloth during Tuesday's protest in New Delhi.

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Protest for 5-year-old victim – Activists shout slogans after being detained following a protest in New Delhi on April 22.

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Rape protests in New Delhi – argue with Indian police outside the residence of Sonia Gandhi, chairwoman of the United Progressive Alliance, in New Delhi on Sunday, April 21, at a demonstration against the alleged rape of a 5-year-old girl.

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Rape protests in New Delhi – An Indian protester waves Indian currency toward police at a demonstration on April 21. Protests have swept through New Delhi since Friday. Many demonstrators are members of a political party of Arvind Kejriwal, a leading anti-corruption activist.

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Advocates criticized the world's largest democracy for failing to protect half of its population. Protesters demanded better treatment of women and decried the apathy of police and the judicial system.

"The truth is, when most women report sexual harassment in India's cities, towns and villages, they are typically met with a shrug," Anjana Menon wrote in an opinion piece. "Slowly, but firmly, the onus of remaining safe seems to have shifted to women, instead of being shared by society and law-keepers."

The country has continued to see several high-profile cases of rape and sexual violence.

A Swiss tourist and her husband were attacked while they had set up camp near a forest in the state of Madhya Pradesh. A group of men beat the husband and raped the wife in March, according to police. Last month, a court sentenced six men to life in prison in the gang rape case.

Official data in India show that rape cases have jumped almost 875% over the past 40 years -- from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011. But campaigners say this is the tip of the iceberg.

Statistics concerning rape and sexual violence tends to be underreported because of stigma and cultural factors. It's an inexact science to compare one country's rape statistic to another, because of the tendency to underreport.

Overall, the World Health Organization estimates that the global toll of sexual or physical violence in women is 35.6%, which is likely to be an underestimate. Dr. Margaret Chan, the WHO's director-general, described violence against women as a "global health problem of epidemic proportions."

Women's rights advocates point to an entrenched societal view that values men more than women.

What's being done?

The government passed tougher anti-rape laws, introducing the death penalty for repeat offenders, and imprisonment for acid attacks, human trafficking and stalking. It also punishes public servants, such as a police officer, who "knowingly disobeys" the laws required in an investigation. It has prompted an increase in the number of women working in New Delhi police stations.

But some say while the laws have changed, the mindset and enforcement haven't.